humidity??

[jason180sx]

hi
i got i incubator for xmas and i hatched qauil but i still don't understand humidity
how do you guys read the humidity
as i just got 12 leghorn hatching eggs
thanks

 

[jason180sx]

anyone?

 

[deedly]

I like to keep my humidity level for the first 18 days between 35 and 45 %. The last three days (lockdown) I run it up to 70%

 

[jason180sx]

thanks but how do you read it

 

[KLRA]

If you're trying to figure out how to measure the humidity inside your incubator, you have to actually buy a hygrometer, which measures moisture in the air. I bought a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo that displays the % of moisture and the temp side by side--I got this in the garden department of my local home improvement store.

As for knowing if your humidity is at the right level, it's best if you can weigh your eggs with a small digital scale. Weigh them before you put them in the incubator. By the end of their incubation period, they should lose about 14% of their weight (multiply starting weight by 0.86--this will be the goal weight of your egg). I weigh the eggs (individually) after 1 week of incubation, then again at 2 weeks. If they're on track to lose the right amount of weight, I keep the humidity at the same level. If they need to lose weight a little faster, I drop the humidity down; if they need to slow down, I raise the humidity. For me, 45% works. In other climates it differs.

Does that answer your question?